They're Just Small Town (Northern) Lads

by Nathan Jonathan

Boys are shaped by the men around them. So what makes a man? It's Y2K and a teenage boy has been caught between two very different influences: a volatile father and a gentle Windrush-era grandfather. But when he's uprooted to a working-class Northern town, he quickly learns the rules: who the hard lads are, what to say on MSN Messenger and how to be a "proper" lad. Blending vivid storytelling with sharp humour, this nostalgia-drenched autobiographical show explores boyhood, masculinity and the moments young boys must decide what kind of men they will become.

Content warnings: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Strong language/swearing